The Jane Austen Marriage Manual
Kim Izzo
Synopsis: Kate is turning forty, and has been a fan of Austen’s work for most of her life. She has a dysfunctional family, is closest to her grandmother, and feels that her mother’s not the most stable of people, and uses Austen as a way to escape. Just before she turns forty she receives a assignment to write about the fact that women are marrying for money once again, due to the financial climate.
After the death of her grandmother, Kate decides to try to find herself a rich husband, taking off for the places that the wealthy tend to congregate, such as St Moritz and Palm Beach.
I found it hard to relate to Kate, at first. It’s clear that Izzo is a fan of Austen herself, and Kate resembles Elizabeth Bennet in some ways. She is supposed to be a family oriented person, who is driven but doesn’t really have Elizabeth’s wit in my opinion, although she does have a tendency to quickly form opinions of people. She comes across two men that seemingly fit her criteria, a American named Scott and a Russian Vlad Mihailov. The man that is perfect for her, Griff, is dismissed by Kate, after their initial encounter during which she insults his clothing, and the next meeting doesn’t go well, as he doesn’t seem to be ready to accept any apology that she makes.
It’s a good light hearted read, that pulls you along, despite the fact that it’s easy enough to predict where Kate will end up, if you have read any of this type of book before.
Musings of a thirtysomething woman 